Commissioners prepped on forthcoming construction of a strategic plan

ELIZABETHTOWN — Commissioners in Bladen County have begun working toward a strategic plan.

The board met in special session on Monday night with Fountainworks, a facilitation and management consulting firm. The meeting’s purpose was to get an initial understanding of what strategic planning means, the key elements, and a general timeline.

No major decisions were made or expected. The next meeting is July 7.

The board heard that a plan identifies who the county is, where it wants to be, and then how it goes about getting there.

It involves the key elements of vision, mission, goals, performance measures, and an action agenda. Each of those was briefly described.

The timeline for the board is expected to include community workgroup meetings between August and November, a period in September for community conversations and engagement, and an early December review by the board of community input and preparation for board reviews.

Drafting of a strategic plan is expected to commence in December and January. The timeline may change.

The process has a proposal to move through with six primary groups in place: environment and agriculture; health community; quality education; prosperous economy; safe and prepared community; infrastructure, housing and transit.

The number of groups and areas assigned within each may change.

The board is tasked with getting names together for those groups.